Regulator



Patented Jan. 28, 1936 I UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE REGULATOR Bennett M. Leece, Cleveland, and Dale S. Cole, Cleveland Heights, Ohio, assignors to The Leece-Neville Company, Cleveland, Ohio, a cor poration of Ohio Application October 30, 1931, Serial No. 572,042

3 Claims. (01. 200-87) This invention relates to generating systems poses. This system is provided with a direct for vehicle lighting, battery charging and other current generator having an armature l0, and purposes, and more particularly to a novel form a shunt field winding H. Current is taken off of regulator for such systems. the armature l through the main brushes l2 An object of this invention is to provide a and I3, and is delivered through the main con- 5 novel form of regulator embodying a make and ductors l4 and 15 for various uses, such as break device which is enclosed in an air-tight charging the storage battery l6, operating the envelope. incandescent lamps i1, and other purposes. Ex-

Another object of this invention is to provide citation of the field II is obtained, in this ina regulator of the electromagnetic type having stance, by providing an auxiliary brush l8, com- 10 a. vibratory element disposed in an air-tight enmonly referred to as a third brush, which covelope. operates with the armature It at some point in- A further object of this invention is to provide termediate the main brushes l2 and i3. regulating means for agenerating system, where- For controlling the excitation of the field ll,

in electromagnetically actuated contact means and thereby re at g e V l Outpu Of the for altering the excitation of the generator field, generator, we provide an electromagnet 20, havis disposed in a hermetically sealed envelope. ing cooperating contact elements 2| and 22, which Other objects and advantages of this invention serve to intermittently connect a resistance 23, will be apparent from the following description, of suitable value, in series with the field wind- 25) when taken in conjunction with the accompanying. As is well understood in the art, the elecing sheet of drawing, wherein, tromagnet may comprise a suitable frame 24, 20

Fig. 1 is a sectional elevation taken through .a formed of magne a e material, a d a m regulating device constructed according to our netizing Winding Composed of 6011s and 25 in invention. additive relation. The coil 25 constitutes an 25 Fig. 2 is a diagrammatic illustration f a, genoperating coil having one end thereof connected 25 crating system embodying the regulator shown in t0 e brush 3 by means of e onductor Fig. l. and the other end thereof connected with the Fig. 3 is a. sectional view taken on line 3 -3 f stationary contact element 2| through the con- Fig. 1, and ductor 28, and thence to the brush l2, either Fig. 4 is a diagram of another generating systhrough the contact element 22 and the con- 30 tom embodying our regulating means. ductor 29, or through the resistance element 23 In general the regulating device of o r i ve and the conductor 29. The coil 26 is a shunt tion is of the vibratory armature type, which is coil having the ends thereof connected to the especially suitable for use with the generating b u s l2 and I3 through the c d eto s 27 systems provided on motor vehicles. In the opand AS explained in detail in the patent 35 eration of this type of regulator, the voltage outrr d o a v t p ati l 5 is onput of the generator is maintained at a substanneeted t the r h s l2 a I3 th ou h t e cotially constant value by controlling the exoitarat n c ts 2| a d s that du in th tion of the generator field, Regulators of thi operation of the generator this coil will be energeneral type are well known in the art, one such giZBd, and Wil1 Cause the armature Which 40 device being disclosed in United States Patent arries the Contact element 22, to be ap No. 1,540,698, issued June 2, 1925, over which the brat i vibratory v n f h armapresent arrangement is an improvement, In ture causes the resistance element 23 to be interthe drawing, to which detailed refer nce 111 mittently cut into, and short-circuited out of presently be made, we have illustrated the prethe fi d Circuit- The Coil 25 being in Shunt re- 45 ferred forms of our regulating means as being lation across the brushes l2 and i3, responds to used in conjunction with generating systems inchanges in the voltage output of the generator to tended for vehicle lighting and battery charging correspondingly increase or decrease the rate of purposes, it should be understood, however, that vibration of the armature 30.

the principle of our invention may be embodied As thus far described, our regulating means is 50 in various other electrical devices. of well known construction, but according to our In Fig. 2 of the drawing, we have shown our invention we provide the same with a novel form regulating means embodied in a generating sysof make and break device, wherein the cooperattem of the type commonly employed on motor ing contact elements 2| and 22 are arranged in an vehicles for lighting and battery charging purair-tight envelope 32 which is disposed in the field 55 of the electromagnet 20. This air-tight enclosing envelope may consist of a sealed tube of any desirable shape, which may be formed of glass or other suitable non-magnetic material. For supporting the stationary contact element 2| within the envelope, we provide the supporting member 33 which is formed of suitable non-magnetic material, such as spring brass. The movable contact element 22 is carried by the vibratory armature 30, which may be formed of a suitable magnetizable material, such as spring steel or the like. The vibratory armature may be supported within the envelope by having the end portion 34 thereof clamped to the supporting element 33. In clamping the armature to the supporting element, we employ an insulating block 35 of suitable size and shape, and one or more clamping screws or rivets 36, which extend through the insulating block and through the supporting element and armature. Passage of current through these clamping members may be prevented by employing suitable insulating means, such as the insulating bushings 31 surrounding the clamping rivets 36.

The envelope 32 is shown in this instance as being round in cross-sectional shape, but it should be understood that this member may have any suitable shape which will position the vibratory armature 30 close to the poles of the frame 24. Our make and break device may be supported within the magnetic field of the electromagnet 26 by any suitable means, and, if desired, simple supporting clamps 38 and 39 maybe mounted upon the frame 24 and provided with band portions 46 which encircle the envelope, as shown in Fig. 1.

In order that the assembly, formed by the armature 30 and supporting element 33, may be firmly supported within the envelope without looseness or rattling, we have so arranged and proportioned the parts of this assembly that the latter fits snugly within the envelope with portions thereof bearing against the inner surface of the enclosing wall. To this end we have constructed the supporting member 33 with the reversely bent spring leg 42 for engagement with the inner wall of the envelope, and have so proportioned the insulating block 35 that the corner portions thereof engage the inner surface of the envelope at points spaced circumierentially from the spring leg 42. Additional support may be provided for thisassembly, by making the body portion of the supporting element 33 suficiently wide so that the edges thereof also engage the inner surface of the wall of ,the envelope. An arrangement such as, that just described, is clearly illustrated in Fig. 3 of the drawing, and from this arrangement it will be seen that the assembly is snugly fitted within the envelope, but with the armature 30 out of contact with the enclosing wall and free for vibratory movement.

As stated above, the enclosing envelope 32 of the make and break device is air-tight. If desired this envelope may be evacuated to any desired degree, so that the vibratory movement of the armature 30 will meet with little or no air resistance, with the result that the armature 36 may be made very light in weight, and a very high frequency of armature beat may be at tained. In certain instances it may be desirable to provide an atmosphere of nitrogen. or other inert gas, within the hermetically sealed envelope. The presence of such gas might be desirable within the envelope as a means for quenching the are produced upon the opening of the contact elements.

The enclosing envelope of our make and break device may be constructed according to any suitable method orprocess, but is preferably of simple form with the conductors 43 and 44, which are provided for the contact elements 2| and 22, extending through and sealed in the glass or other material forming the wall of the envelope. After the desired pressure condition or gaseous atmosphere has been established within the envelope, the same may be hermetically sealed in any eflicient manner, such as by fusing the material at the pointed end 45.

In Fig. 4 of the drawing we have shown another generating system embodying our novel regulator construction, wherein the generator 48 is of the two brush type. In this system, current delivered by the brushes 49 and 50 of the generator, is supplied to the storage battery and lamps 52 as by means of the main conductors 53 and 54. This system also includes a reverse current cutout 55, which is of well known construction and comprises, in general, a shunt coil 56 and a series coil 51. A regulator 58, which embodies our novel form of make and break device 59, controls the excitation of the shunt field winding 60 of the generator 48, to thereby maintain the output of the generator at a substantially constant value. The regulator itself comprises a frame 6| having a magnetizing winding which is composed of the operating coil 62 and the shunt coil 63 in 'additive relation. These coils perform the same functions as the coils 25 and 26, shown in Fig. 2, the operating coil 62 serving as a means for actuating the vibratory armature 64, while the shunt coil 63 regulates the rate of vibration of the armature in accordance with the operation of the generator. The-armature 64 carries a movable contact 65 which cooperates with a stationary contact 66 carried by a supporting element 61. The vibration of the armature 64 causes the resistance element 68 to be intermittently out into and short circuited' out of the circuit of the field winding 60, as is well understood in the art.

According to our invention the contact elements 65 and 66, which are supported respectively by the armature 64 andthe member 61, are disposed within a hermetically sealed envelope 69. This envelope is supported adjacent the frame 56 of the regulator, so that the armature 64 will be efficiently actuated in response to the magnetization produced by the coils 62 and 63.

Adjustment of the operation of our make and break device may be provided by increasing or decreasing the air gap between the poles'of the magnet frame and the vibratory armature 30, or, if desired, the .make and break device may be removed from the supp rting brackets 38 and 39 and a different device substituted, wherein the vibratory armature may be different, as to dimensions or character of material. The rate of vibration of the armature may also be controlled, to some extent, by the existent pressure condition, or character of the confined gas, within the enclosing envelope, and in various other ways, such as by varying the magnetizing value of the coils of the electromagnet, the value of the field resistance element, the dimensions of the metallic parts within the envelope, and also by varying the character of the material forming the vibratory armature.

It will now be readily seen that we have provided a novel form of regulator embodying a simple and eflicient form of make and break device. In the construction which we have provided, the enclosing of the contact elements within a hermetically sealed envelope, eliminates interference heretofore produced by air, moisture and foreign matter, thereby increasing the sensitiveness of the device, and making possible the use of a vibratory armature, which is of very light weight and therefore not easily affected by jarring or vibration transmitted from the vehicle, or other supporting structure, upon which the regulator is mounted. Moreover, it will be seen that since the contact elements are opened and closed in a vacuum or inert gas, depending upon which condition exists within the envelope, it will be seen that whatever arc may be formed will not cause destructive oxidation, and a stable and efficient condition of the contact elements will be maintained over a long period of usage. It will also be seen, furthermore, that since the contact elements are enclosed within a hermetically sealed envelope they are pro-- tected against damaging blows, foreign material, moisture and the tampering action of inexperienced persons.

While we have illustrated and described the device of our invention in a detailed manner, it should be understood, however, that we do not intend to limit ourselves to the precise arrangements of parts and details of construction illustrated and described, but regard our invention as including such changes and modifications as do not involve a departure from the spirit of the invention and the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described our invention what we claim is:

1. In an electromagnetic device of the character described the combination of a frame, a magnet winding on said frame, and a circuit control device responsive to magnetization produced by said winding, said control device comprising an elongated air tight envelope, a support wholly enclosed in said envelope and retained in place therein by engagement with the wall of the envelope at peripherally spaced areas which extend for a substantial distance along the wall of the envelope, a contact on said support, and a vibratory armature in the envelope for cooperation with said contact.

2. In an electromagnetic device of the character described the combination of a frame, a magnet winding on said frame, and a circuit control device responsive to magnetization produced by said winding, said control device comprising a non-magnetic envelope, a support wholly enclosed in said envelope and having a body part engaging the wall of the envelope at spaced points and a spring part engaging the wall of the envelope and biasing said body part against said wall, a contact on said support, and a vibratory armature carried by said support and adapted for cooperation with said contact.

3. In an electromagnetic device oi. the character described the combination of 'a frame, a magnet winding on said frame, and a circuit control device responsive to magnetization produced by said winding, said control device comprising an elongated air tight envelope of substantially circular cross-section, an elongated support wholly enclosed in said envelope, said support having a relatively wide body portion engaging opposite sides of the wall of the envelope and a relatively narrow resilient portion engaging the envelope wall and biasing said wide portion against said wall, a contact on said wide body portion, and an elongated vibratory armature carried by said support and having a contact for cooperation with the first mentioned contact.

BENNETT M. LEECE. DALE S. COLE. 

